Premier League XI: Fastest footballers

While football is an extremely tactical game, there is very little that can be done about raw speed in a player.

The fastest players are among the most dangerous players and no amount of tactics or preparation can stop this pace effectively.

The following team of eleven players has been selected from the Premier League only - and is a matter of opinion of the writer.

The players selected are open to discussion and have been chosen from recent performances and reputations.

Goalkeeper: Joe Hart | Manchester City

While pace isn't a sought-after trait in a goalkeeper, Joe Hart is a very quick player when it comes to top speed. Choosing a goalkeeper for a 'Pace XI' is difficult, so this is based on a video in which Hart goes up for a corner, and when it is cleared races back to his box to make a save.

The speed shown from Hart seems surreal as he runs almost the length of the pitch in just eleven seconds.

Right-back: Kyle Walker | Tottenham

At just 22 years of age, Kyle Walker is a hot prospect for the future but it is his pace that stands out for the young English full-back. He is lethal going forward as he skips past opposition full-backs with ease, and can keep up with most opposition wingers in the league.

Bassong is a very important player for Norwich as his stats suggest. This is due to his immense power as a centre-back which comes from his strength and more notably his pace.

The 26-year-old Cameroonian moved from Tottenham to Norwich in August 2012 and has proved his worth by stopping some of the fastest strikers in the Premier League.

Substitute: Sylvain Distin | Everton

Centre-back: David Luiz | Chelsea

The Brazilian centre-back joined Chelsea in January 2011 and has recently become a regular in the first team. He has good playmaking abilities which have been proved as he has played a few games for the Blues in more of a midfield role but right now he is still naturally a centre-back.

In this position, he has the pace to keep up with almost all opposition attackers as his top speed can be that of a winger or striker. He has, however, been seen being very lazy and not using this ability to it's full potential when his team go defensive. But when he wants to get to the ball first, he will.

Substitute: Younes Kaboul | Tottenham

Left-back: Gael Clichy | Manchester City

Gael Clichy moved from Arsenal to Manchester City in 2011 for around £7m. He is a very attacking full-back as his pace is a primary part of his game. He has kept up with almost all wingers that he has come up against and is one of the fastest full-backs in Europe.

Substitute: Kieran Gibbs | Arsenal

Defensive-midfielder: Ramires | Chelsea

At 5ft 11in, Ramires is not the tallest centre-midfielder but this is more than made up for by his pace. The pace he has makes him a very flexible player as he is comfortable in either the centre or the right of midfield.

He has also been deployed as a defensive midfielder playing box-to-box as he has the pace to support the defensive and the offensive play.

Substitute: Yaya Toure | Manchester City

Right-wing: Theo Walcott | Arsenal

There was no doubt that Walcott would be selected in this team. He is considered by many to be the fastest player in the world, and has run the 100m in a staggering 10.3 seconds. He recently has become more of a striker than a winger but he is still lethal out wide.

Substitute: Aaron Lennon | Tottenham Hotspur

Attacking-midfielder: Eden Hazard | Chelsea

Eden Hazard has had a huge impact on Chelsea this year as he's linked up with the likes of Juan Mata and Oscar to create a lethal attacking midfield. Hazard is no doubt helped by his pace which is a combination of his agility, acceleration and top speed. He can get away from defenders with ease and hits his top speed incredibly quickly when chasing the ball or tracking back to defend.

Substitute: Moussa Sissoko | Newcastle United

Left-wing: Gareth Bale | Tottenham

Gareth Bale has had a phenomenal season for Tottenham this year which has lead to interest from none other than Real Madrid. His value has sky-rocketed to around £50m as he has proved one of the deadliest players in the league.

Speed is a huge factor for Bale, as his ability to accelerate past defenders lead to chances created within seconds out of nothing and strikes fear into the opposition on every attack.

Bale's pace is unbelievable when he hits top speed on and off the ball.

Substitute: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain | Arsenal

Striker: Loic Rémy | Queens Park Rangers

Premier League new boy Loic Remy has been signed by Harry Redknapp in the hope to save QPR from relegation. Though this still seems like a difficult task, Rémy has made an impact in this league by showing his pace against many struggling defences.

His ability to stand on the shoulder of the last man before breaking through the defence at high speed makes him deadly and very difficult to defend against.

Substitute: Javier Hernandez | Manchester United

Striker: Gabriel Agbonlahor | Aston Villa

Agbonlahor had to be included in this team as his reputation as a speedy striker is still strong. He may have lost a bit of his pace due to concentrating more on strength but he is still incredibly fast, and so a lethal attacker.

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DISCLAIMER

This article has been written by a member of the GiveMeSport Writing Academy and does not represent the views of
GiveMeSport.com or SportsNewMedia. The views and opinions expressed are solely that of the author credited at the top of this article.
GiveMeSport.com and SportsNewMedia do not take any responsibility for the content of its contributors.

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